It's no secret that Western music theory offers three major diatonic modes—Ionian, Lydian, and Mixolydian—each serving as crucial tools for songwriters seeking to craft compositi… Read More

Tuff Enuff stands as the best-known track from the blues rock ensemble The Fabulous Thunderbirds. This song serves as the opening piece on their 1986 album of the same title, a … Read More

Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered) stands as a celebrated song and show tune hailing from the musical Pal Joey which made its grand debut on Broadway in 1940. This work is Read More

Swingtown stands out as one of the best-known tracks by the American rock group Steve Miller Band. This song served as the third and final single release from their 1977 Book of Dreams… Read More

La Nave del Olvido stands as the best-known romantic ballad within the repertoire of Mexican singer José José. The track graces the opening of his second album, also… Read More

Released in 1977, Sultans of Swing marked the remarkable inception of the English rock band Dire Straits propelling them into an unparalleled realm of fame on both sides of the … Read More

Parchman Farm stands as one of the best-known song by Bukka White, a singer and guitarist who wholeheartedly embraced the Delta blues heritage incorporating intricate slide Read More

Punky Reggae Party is a 1977 song by Bob Marley that exists in various versions ranging in duration from 4:25 to 9:19. All versions maintain the core identity until around the 4:15 mark… Read More

It is no secret that accurately applying classical theory in songwriting contributes to easy song memorization as well as long-term popularity. This fact is confirmed by the musical output o… Read More

Completed by Maurice Ravel in 1920, La Valse stands as a remarkable composition distinguished by its innovative waltz structure. Ravel's intention was to pay homage to the waltz using music… Read More

De Música Ligera is one of the best-known songs by the Argentine rock trio Soda Stereo. It was released in 1990 as part of their fifth studio album titled Canción Animal. The a… Read More

Dammit Janet is a memorable song from the original 1973 The Rocky Horror Show British musical stage production as well as its popular 1975 film adaptation. It was composed by Richard O'Brien… Read More

In 2018, the internationally acclaimed South Korean group BTS released their mesmerizing song 134340 as part of their Love Yourself: Tear album. The primary songwriter behind the song w… Read More

The Sirtaki dance—a lively and energetic expression of Greek culture—has become an iconic image associated with the country. Remarkably, this captivating dance is a modern creati… Read More

The Namo Amitabha mantra is a sacred chant associated with Amitabha, a celestial buddha held in high esteem in Mahayana Buddhism. Its six syllables carry deep significance with Read More

In 1968, Mexican songwriter Armando Manzanero released the enchanting love song Somos Novios. Two years later, American singer Perry Como recorded an English version titled It's Impossible w… Read More

In the realm of pop music, songwriters often rely on the 24 musical keys to create harmonious and captivating compositions. These keys play a crucial role in evoking different moods and enga… Read More

During a Pacific cruise from Calabai to Fiji in 1935, the celebrated American composer and songwriter Cole Porter crafted the mesmerizing melody of Begin the Beguine. Immersed in the enchant… Read More

Breadfan is an iconic song by the Welsh heavy metal band Budgie featured on their 1973 album Never Turn Your Back on a Friend. Known for their blues-infused hard rock sound, Budgie was… Read More

Tornerò—the 1974 debut single by the Italian pop group I Santo California—may have initially achieved only moderate success making its way onto a few national charts… Read More

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar—a distinguished Hindustani musician—was a master of the Dhrupad genre which dates back to the 15th century and is revered as one of the oldest forms of Indian… Read More

In 2002, the Spanish pop group Las Ketchup attained worldwide success with their chart-topping track The Ketchup Song (Aserejé). The song tells the story of Diego, a cheerful young ma… Read More

The Wayfaring Stranger is an American folk song with an uncertain origin. The song's various versions share a common theme of a traveler's perspective and reflect religious notions about … Read More

Amoreena is one of the best-known tracks from Elton John's 1970 album Tumbleweed Connection whose songs revolve primarily around American West themes. Indeed, the album's lyrics Read More

Jumpin' Jive is a notable jazz hit that was originally recorded by the Cab Calloway Orchestra in 1939. The song celebrates the energetic and lively style of music and dances known as … Read More

It is widely known that the Ionian mode—often referred to as major mode—dominates other compositional methods in both classical and popular music. You can learn the structure of… Read More

Amor Eterno is a powerful and emotive ballad that has been touching the hearts of music lovers around the world since its release in 1984. Written by the legendary Mexican singer and songwri… Read More

The profession of a rodeo clown is more similar to that of the classic bullfighting matador than the title may initially suggest. Traditionally, the role of the rodeo clown was intended to b… Read More

Boogie with Stu is a remarkable Led Zeppelin track originally recorded for the 1971 release of their fourth album, but only included on the double 1975 Physical Graffiti. The song title ment… Read More

Aham Prema is one of the essential mantras recommended for daily practice by many modern yoga schools. Surprisingly, the spiritual chant invoking Aham is predominantly used by Western practi… Read More

BTS' song Whalien 52 is an emotionally charged piece that delves into the idea of loneliness and isolation. The lyrics tell the story of a whale, named "52," who can't Read More

Wiegenlied (Eng: Lullaby or Cradle Song) is one of Johannes Brahms' best-known pieces and probably the most famous classical lullaby. Originally published in 1868 as a score for voice and pi… Read More

Barrett's Privateers, released in 1976 by Stan Rogers—Canadian folk musician and songwriter whose musical career was cut short by an aviation accident—remains his best-known song… Read More

The prevalence of the three-chord song structure in Western popular music has, at this point, become emblematic. More often than not, you will find pop releases with harmonic accompaniment b… Read More

Bamboléo, released by the French band Gipsy Kings in the 1980s, remains the defining genre entry of its era. The band's guitar-oriented output is infused with flamenco motif… Read More

Badinerie—the final movement of Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor—is rightfully recognized as one of the best-known pieces of baroque music. Indeed, its dazzlingly airy an… Read More

Ave Satani is a choral work written by the prolific American composer Jerry Goldsmith for the 1976 supernatural horror film The Omen directed by Richard Donner. The film score was… Read More

Blitzkrieg Bop, released in 1976 by Ramones as their debut single, remains one of the band's best known tracks and an essential entry in the history of the American punk Read More

The Aeolian diatonic mode is one of the most common songwriting techniques, allowing composers to harmonize a melodic line with chord accompaniment. The tonal theory establishes seven… Read More

Piel Canela is perhaps the best-known song of Puerto Rican singer Bobby Capó who wrote a number of hits for famous artists of his time, usually combining the classic ba… Read More

Greensleeves is one of the best-known English folk melodies, first published in 1580 as a broadside ballad titled A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves. The tune appears to have be… Read More

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is among the most honored Indian virtuosos whose musical skill was nurtured in the tradition of his family. His family in particular is known for their significant contr… Read More

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out was first released on Bruce Springsteen's breakthrough album Born to Run and remains one of his best-known songs to this day. Although the track never Read More

The Western music theory as we know it traditionally uses three major diatonic scales. Each scale's harmonic structure gives songwriters the tools to build compositions within a very specifi… Read More

Pedro Navaja is a true pop culture statement of a song written by Panamanian Latin-jazz musician Rubén Blades and released in 1978. Having gained remarkable popularity in Latin Americ… Read More

Estampes, conceived as a three-piece piano suite by the French Impressionist Claude Debussy, is rightfully recognized as one of the most influential works of the early 20th century. It intro… Read More

Of all the songbirds in the northern hemisphere, the nightingale clearly stands out for its deep vocal overtones and incredible musicality that famously prompted composers of different eras… Read More

Rhiannon is one of the best-known Fleetwood Mac tracks originally recorded for their 1975 eponymous album and released as a single the following year. The song was composed by the rock duo B… Read More

The harmonic analysis of The Beatles' output reveals their particular devotion to the Ionian mode, which is found in fifty of their songs, and nine of those tracks are written using just thr… Read More

La Mordidita is a notable Latin dance hit released by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin in 2015. The song was written by a team of six songwriters and features a guest verse from Cuban artist… Read More

Ave verum corpus is one of the best-known sacramental chants that originated in the Medieval period and has since been entrenched as the main element of the Holy Communion. Its short Latin t… Read More

Vinayagar Agaval is a popular sacred hymn of South India praising Ganesh—one of the most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon who is also deeply revered by Buddhists of various den… Read More

Carolina in the Pines is a seminal track by Michael Murphey, a highly influential country-genre artist with over thirty albums under his belt, six of which achieved gold status. The song fir… Read More

Known since the Baroque era, the homophonic texture remains the most convenient songwriting technique based on the harmonious interaction between the vocal melody and chord accompaniment. To… Read More

Súbeme la Radio is a 2017 Latin dance track recorded by Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias in collaboration with Cuban musician Descemer Bueno and Puerto Rican duo Zion & Lennox. In… Read More

Je te veux is one of the best-known pieces by the French Romantic composer Erik Satie, famous for popularizing his concept of background music that would form the basis of the ambient genre… Read More

It is no secret that regular listening to records with sounds of pristine nature contributes to relaxation and stress reduction in a vast number of people. Such a tangible impact of organic… Read More

Rhinestone Cowboy is a notable country track that hit the tops of global charts in the 1970s, extending beyond the confines of its own genre. The song was written by American songwriter Larr… Read More

The musical output of the English rock band Led Zeppelin can be confidently classified as classically oriented. More than half of their tracks are accompanied by harmonic progressions that f… Read More

Vente Pa' Ca is a 2016 dance track recorded by award-winning Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin featuring Colombian urban-pop artist Maluma. Unanimously praised by critics as one of the best p… Read More

Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor, commonly known as Für Elise, is undoubtedly Beethoven's best-known piano work as well as one of the most highly recognizable masterpieces of classical music… Read More

Bharata Muni was an eminent Indian philosopher and musicologist who is believed to have lived around 200 BC. The only source that could be used to shed some light on Bharata's biography… Read More

Ramaya is the best-known song of Mozambican street singer Afric Simone whose career took off in 1970s Europe when disco popularity skyrocketed, leading to scores of disco Read More

It is widely accepted that the Western system of seven diatonic modes, as postulated by the tonal theory, provides one of the most convenient toolkits for songwriting with an emphasis on the… Read More

Échame la Culpa is a 2017 Latin pop track by Demi Lovato and Puerto Rican songwriter Luis Fonsi that remains their only collaboration to date. Following the Read More

Deux arabesques are two piano pieces written by Claude Debussy in the late 1880s and are now considered to be one of the earliest expressions of French impressionism. First published in 1891… Read More

Scarlet Begonias, released in 1974 by the American rock band Grateful Dead, is still widely regarded as one of their best tracks, at least according to their fanbase. Over the past… Read More

Big Noise from Winnetka is one of the best-known jazz tunes of the 1930s, first recorded by the Chicago-based band The Bobcats led by Bob Crosby. The notoriety of this simple melody persists… Read More

One of the easily explained reasons for the continued popularity of The Beatles' songs lies in their harmonic structure that often follows the canons of the tonal theory. Indeed, around half… Read More

Bailamos remains one of Enrique Iglesias' best-known songs originally recorded for his 1998 album Cosas del Amor but released a year later on the soundtrack album for Barry Read More

Originating in Europe in the Middle Ages, the serenade (ger. ständchen) is a love song composed for one vocal line and a simple accompaniment often played by the singer. During the Clas… Read More

Om Namo Narayanaya is one of the best-known Sanskrit mantras addressed to the god Vishnu—one of the principal deities of Hinduism who, in alliance with Brahma and Shiva, form… Read More

The Carpet Crawlers is an iconic song by the English progressive rock band Genesis recorded for their 1974 concept double album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and released as a single the fo… Read More

The Dorian minor mode is a part of the diatonic system that canonizes the usage of the seven heptatonic scales in Western classical and popular music. According to this system, it's possible… Read More

Smackwater Jack is a 1971 song released by Carole King, the most successful female songwriter of the 20th century who has written or co-written over a hundred pop hits featured on the Billbo… Read More

Music for a While is one of the best-known tunes written by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell. First published after his death in 1702, the song appears in the second movement of hi… Read More

Quimbara is an essential salsa track first recorded by Celia Cruz, a popular Cuban singer, and Johnny Pacheco, a prolific Dominican recording artist, for their 1974 joint album Celia … Read More

Butterflies and Hurricanes is a powerful track by the English rock band Muse first released on their 2003 album Absolution and then issued as a single in 2004. Despite the rather comple… Read More

Diatonic scales, as postulated by the classical tonal theory, are among the most convenient devices for composing polyphonic and homophonic textures. The latter is widely utilized by popular… Read More

Porque Te Vas is the most influential ballad recorded by Janette Anne Dimech, known professionally as Jeanette, which made history as the first Spanish pop song to achieve such immense… Read More

Nuvole Blanche is one of the best-known piano pieces by the Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi released on his 2004 album Una Mattina. The composition was subsequently transformed… Read More

Kadri Gopalnath was a distinguished South Indian musician who introduced the saxophone into the classical repertoire and drew the world's jazz audience to Carnatic melodic style by performin… Read More

Longfellow Serenade is a notable 1974 hit released by Neil Diamond, a prolific American songwriter who sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musici… Read More

Peace Frog, released by the Doors on their 1970 album Morrison Hotel, has been met by a near-unanimous approval from reviewers and fans alike since its first introduction into the… Read More

Hero and Heroine is a dramatic track by the English band Strawbs released on their 1974 album of the same name. The album is considered by many to be their most explicit prog-rock work… Read More

Alla Turca, also known as the Turkish Rondo or Turkish March, is undoubtedly Mozart's most famous piano composition. Written around 1783, the piece follows the musical form of rondo and comp… Read More

Yo No Te Pido la Luna is an influential Latino pop song whose musical harmony borrows from the 1980s Italian track Non Voglio Mica la Luna credited to three famous songwriters Zucchero… Read More

Bungle in the Jungle is the best-known track from the critically derided War Child album released by the English prog-rock band Jethro Tull in 1974. In hindsight, the release would prov… Read More

The Beatles' phenomenal success is often attributed to the striking euphony of their polyphonic vocals as well as the uncomplicated and easily-hummed melodies. Despite this simplicity, the… Read More

Oye Mi Amor is one of the most influential tracks of the Mexican rock band Maná released on their 1992 album ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? that marke… Read More

Méditation is one of the best-known orchestral works by the Romantic-era composer Jules Massenet which appears as an intermezzo in the key scene of the Thaïs opera. The… Read More

The Atmashatkam or Nirvāṇaṣatkam is the essential Sanskrit hymn composed around the 8th century AD by the leading Indian thinker Adi Shankara to convey the basic teachi… Read More

Wildwood Weed is a parody song written by country music artist Don Bowman and first recorded by singer and multi-instrumentalist Jim Stafford in 1974. Immediately after its release, the trac… Read More

Of all 138 songs and instrumental tracks released by Pink Floyd on their 14 studio albums, Lost for Words is the only example of the band using the Lydian major mode. The Lydian scale i… Read More

La fille aux cheveux de lin or The Girl with the Flaxen Hair is the best-known piano prelude by the French impressionist Claude Debussy first published as part of his First book of Pr&eacute&hell…Read More

Golden Slumbers is a short song recorded by The Beatles for their 1969 album Abey Road. The track was written by Paul McCartney but credited to Lennon–McCartney following an early agre… Read More

La Gota Fría is one of the best-known examples of the vallenato genre that originated in the early 19th century in the vast Colombian valley nestled between the Andes ridges. The lyri… Read More

Hasta Mañana, an ABBA ballad released on their 1974 Waterloo album never quite managed to reach the top of international charts but is nonetheless included in most band… Read More

It is no secret that the harmonic structure of a song and its adherence to the canons of musical theory is one of the key factors contributing to the perception of music and lyrics, which ul… Read More

Pachelbel's Canon, also known as Canon and Gigue in D, is the best-known piece by German composer Johann Pachelbel which he most likely composed for the wedding ceremony of Johann Christoph… Read More